Top Workplaces 2020: A Look into fjorge Culture

This year, fjorge is one of Star Tribune’s Top Workplaces for 2020. We sat down with Eva Tangen, our office manager, and leader of our HR department to learn how we maintain a great company culture for our team:

Culture Core Value:

Fjorge has always valued creating a healthy and fun work environment. Our team consists of diverse members who contribute to a powerful whole. One of our core values, “Chipotle” encompasses that. Chipotle also emphasizes rallying around things our team members are passionate about. This fosters a positive work environment. And yes, we do consume a LOT of Chipotle.

Maintaining A Strong Company Culture:

Fjorge holds a lot of value in strong company culture. One way we keep a strong company culture is through our Culture Committee. Our Culture Committee, led by our HR department, holds meetings once a month. It consists of representatives from each department at fjorge. The Committee discusses ways to improve our workplace. Recently, they have chosen five essential element pillars to put into place. These pillars serve as a base for discussion and collaboration.

The Five Pillars are:

• Physical
• Career
• Community
• Financial
• Social

The Committee members volunteer to take on a pillar. They then create initiatives based on those pillars to put in place throughout the year. These initiatives range from fitness challenges to ways to stay connected remotely.

Adapting to Working Remote:

Given COVID-19, fjorge has had to adapt to a remote work environment. This has shifted our culture in many ways, such as not being able to do our monthly reward  (previous activities include: ax throwing, bubble soccer, brewery tour, etc.). As a way to still celebrate as a team, we have shifted our efforts to things that can happen remotely. This includes ordering company hoodies, donating to local charities, and getting Chipotle ordered to everyone’s houses.

We have also found smaller ways to stay connected. For example, we carve out time to play games online via Jackbox and Google Hangouts. There is also time set aside for virtual lunches and happy hours. Additionally, the use of more creative Slack channels has been a good way to stay connected. From random memes, to pet pictures, and shout outs, Slack has been an effective platform for our team. Monthly, the team also fills out surveys to serve as a checkpoint during these times.

In conclusion, we are finding that creativity is key while working remotely. We as a company are trying to make the best out of the situation and hope to grow and keep the fjorge culture strong.